Afterschool
by XeroKitty
Summary: Disgaea AU. Alamz has a crush on Adell. Randomness ensues.
1. Fanclubs

**_AFTERSCHOOL_**

**DISCLAIMER: **All characters, names, relations, etc. belong to the **_Disgaea _**series and its creator. Not mine.

**WARNING: **Implied _yaoi_, meaning boyxboy. I don't know how much of a degree. Plus, the pairing is a little weird. Sorry.

**NOTES: **Lolz, I _should_ be working on **_Change of Seasons_** but I've hit a block, and the last chapter isn't coming out like I expected. I might just throw together an ending, but it feels like I'm cheating the readers. Sorry guys. ;A; Anyway, yei for random pairings from nowhere~!

* * *

I slid the classroom door open and my eyes instantly shift over toward the back row of seats, looking for his profile. Many times I'm lucky, because he's usually one of the last students to leave campus. Today is no different. He's there, staring outside the window with the afternoon sunlight coming in and falling on him, making his red hair blaze and his tanned skin glow softly. I start walking into the classroom, but I can't tear my eyes away from him. He's so beautiful.

My foot catches on the leg of a desk in the front row and I stumble hard, staggering awkwardly to catch my balance. My best friend looks up from her books and giggles at me. He glances over from staring out the window with one eyebrow raised archly. I laugh nervously, rubbing the back of my head and rushing over to Saphire's desk. I can feel my cheeks burning. She's closed her book and is now putting her things away in her school bag. I come by every afternoon, so it's routine by now.

"What's up?" she asks, even though she knows. Her green eyes sparkle in mirth. "Miss the table much?"

"Well, you know me," I laugh again nervously.

"Uh-huh," she grins and rises, tossing her bag over her shoulder. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," I nod, holding up my own bag. She nods and comes around from her desk. We begin walking up the isle toward the back of the classroom instead of going back the way I'd come. Another routine, and all Saphire's idea. We pass by his desk—he's staring out the window once more—and she stops briefly.

"See you tomorrow, Adell-kun," she greets him.

His eyes come back around to lock onto both of us, his chin still resting in his palm. They're a deep, vibrant red. I stare.

"See ya," he mumbles, glancing from her to me. "Later, sempai."

A million things rush into my head. My throat clenches and my voice dies. Then the reaction is gone and I can force my trembling lips into a smile.

"Later, Adell-kun," I manage easily enough.

Then we're past him and out the rear door of the classroom. I let out a huge sigh and slump my shoulders. "I'm so stupid," I groan.

"At least you didn't stammer!" Saphire chimed brightly, trying not to laugh at me outright.

I give her a sideways glance: "Ugh, thanks…"

A door behind us slides open and shut again. We both turn and look, and I freeze. I stop. He's. Right. There. My mind flails for something to do or say. I'm at a loss.

"Ah! Adell-kun!" Saphire saves me. "You're leaving kind of early today!"

"It's as safe as it's ever gonna get," he shrugs, one hand on the strap of his bag and the other tucked languidly in his pocket.

"Safe?" I ask, giving Saphire a glance. She shrugs her shoulders to indicate she doesn't know either. The three of us start walking toward the stairs and—I can't believe this—Adell's walking between us. For the first time ever, I'm actually standing next to him, fully within his presence. I can't stop myself from taking quick side glances at his profile: his uniform sleeves are rolled up to his biceps, showing off his long, muscular arms—there are tiny cuts and scars peppered across the skin—the jacket is unbuttoned and untucked, his bright red tie flipping out and swaying with his deceptively lethargic step; the single thick scar on his face, mirrored on the opposite cheek. I'm barely paying attention to where were going. On his other side, Saphire sees me looking and giggles once more, but Adell doesn't realize what's funny and so he just lifts an eyebrow at her.

I don't know how I didn't fall on those steps, but we're at the lockers in the front foyer of the school. We split up to change our shoes and somehow meet up again at the doors. Adell goes out first, Saphire and I follow him out.

"Are you happy?" she whispers to me.

I can only nod in response, not wanting to open my mouth and ruin the moment with my stupid answer. I watch him descend the small set of steps and stride purposefully toward the front gate.

With a loud slam, the doors burst open behind us. Before we can look, a quick rush of air rumples our hair and clothes, and suddenly, Adell is on the ground.

"ADELL!!"

"Gah!" he speaks up from the floor.

"Adell, you left without meeeeeeeeeee!" The girl that had pounced on him latches her arms around his neck and clings to him tightly, her chest pressing into his back. He rose to his feet and tried to unsuccessfully shake her off.

"Rozalin… Can't breathe…" he grunted.

"Who…is that?" I ask Saphire, still a little bit surprised.

"That's Rozalin, the new transfer student," she explained. "It's been like this since her first day."

"Is that why he was leaving early?" I watch her hang on as he shook back and forth, trying unsuccessfully to remove her.

"Rozalin, please get _off_," he groaned, trying to pry her hands from around his neck.

"Nuuuuuuuu~!" Rozalin tightened her grip even more and nuzzled the back of his neck.

"ADELL-KUN!!"

"Huh?" Saphire and I blinked.

"Crap," Adell did not look happy.

A wall of angry-looking male students barred the way to the school gate. The hostility rolled off them in chilling waves.

"Er…" I said.

"That's the Princess Rozalin fan club," Saphire offered helpfully.

"What did we tell you about hogging the beautiful, lovely, delicate Princess Rozalin all to yourself?!" a spokesperson materialized from the angry mob and pointed an accusing finger at Adell, who looked thoroughly unamused.

"I'm not hogging her…" he frowned.

"You boys are annoying!" Rozalin glared at them, staring them down with an icy glare. "Go away!"

They ignored both of them. "GET HIM!!" the mob yelled collectively and surged forward. Adell quickly leapt up and out of the way, taking Rozalin with him. They both landed beside us on the school steps.

"Hii!" I jumped in surprise. "How did you do that?!"

"Practice," he grimaced, setting Rozalin down gently and ducking his head out from under her arms. "See you guys tomorrow," he re-shouldered his bag with a resigned sigh and ran back into the crowd.

"Adeeeeeeeell!" Rozalin frowned, stomping her foot. "We were supposed to walk home together today!"

"Is he going to take on all those club members by himself?!" I blinked.

"I guess this is why he stays so late afterschool," Saphire grimaced.

I watched as Adell ducked into the fray and began to fend off the angry club members. He hopped, dodged, rolled, darted, and ducked in and out between fists, legs, and assorted makeshift weapons (that appeared from nowhere). It was almost like a violent but mesmerizing dance; I couldn't stop watching him move in and out between them. Adell finally landed on the other side of the gate and dashed down the sidewalk, his hand still tucked squarely in his pocket. That's what impressed me the most, I think.

"He escaped," Saphire breathed in relief.

"He always escapes," Rozalin pouted hugely, flipping her bright blond hair.

"Ah, well," I smiled thinly, the image of his escape still in my mind, "at least no one was hurt."

At my words, the entire fan club whirled and laid their heated gazes on me.

"Hii!" I gulped, shrinking down.

"ALMAZ-SEMPAI!!" the same spokesperson shouted from the head of the group. "You're also guilty of hogging Princess Saphire all to yourself!"

"Wha—?! Wait!" I held out my hands and shook my head back and forth. "It's not like that! You've got it all wrong! We're friends…!"

"GET HIM!!" they lunged.

"Almaz, run!!" Saphire shoved me forward. I stumbled into the swarm, jumping and ducking out of the way of the crazy club members. I survived, staggering out at the gate and looking back over my shoulder. They swarmed toward me. I took off down the street the way Adell had gone, and fast. Saphire called "See you tomorrow!" after me.

Why was this happening?

"So, they finally attacked you too, huh?"

I stopped running and looked over to my left. Adell was there, as if waiting, leaning against the wall with one foot propped up and looking so casual and cool that I thought I would just faint. My knees began to tremble. Without Saphire here to act as a buffer, my reaction time became obvious. I started blushing, staring down at my feet.

"Y-Yeah," I laughed slightly. He got up from the wall and began to walk down the street. When I didn't follow right away, he looked back over his shoulder expectantly. I jumped and hurried to keep up with him.

"It's been happening to me ever since Rozalin transferred in last semester," he sighed, blowing his long bangs out of his eyes.

"Are you two dating then?" I asked, a cold dread creeping into my stomach. _Please, say no,_ I thought to myself. And then: _…Why does it matter? It's not like he's going to date _me_._

"Nah," he wrinkled his nose. "She just lives with my family."

"Huh?" I blinked in confusion.

"She transferred in on the Foreign Exchange Program," he elaborated. "My parents are really into that stuff. So, she's living with us until her dad moves over too."

"I see," I answered, not trying to sound too relieved. "That's very nice of your parents."

"You think so?" he shrugged. "It gets crowded from time to time."

"How many are in your family?" I asked.

"Three kids, including me," he held up three fingers. "I've got a little brother and sister."

"I wish I had siblings," I smiled at the thought of Adell's younger siblings. "I'm an only child, so it can get kind of lonely sometimes."

"What about your parents?" he asked, looking over at me. He was looking at me. I felt my face getting hotter. I managed to look away casually enough.

"My dad works full time, so I never really see him," I shrug a bit. "My mom's really into her job too, so I'm home alone a lot."

He returned his gaze ahead of him. "Sorry I asked something personal like that."

"Huh? Oh, no! It's fine!" I flailed a little bit. "I really don't mind! Besides, I'm used to it, so it doesn't bother me anymore."

"Being alone bothers me," he mumbled and I stopped in surprise. He always seemed as if he were a natural loner. He had this air about him that demanded space, not in an unfriendly way, but just because he preferred it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," I caught up quickly, giving him a little grin. "But you know, you _are_ pretty popular."

"Ugh, don't remind me," he made a face.

We were approaching two children playing on a bus stop. The boy, a little older, was sitting and leaning on one hand casually, sipping a milk carton with a straw. The girl—younger—was walking heel-toe along the back of the bench with her arms extended. She saw us approaching and leapt down to the sidewalk and rushed over, lunging at Adell.

"Nii-chaaaaaaaaaan!" she squealed. Adell bent smoothly and scooped her up in mid-air, lifting her up into the crook of one arm.

"You guys waiting long?" he asked them.

"Not really," the boy stood, slurping up the last of his milk.

"We just got here!" the girl clasped her arms around Adell's neck and beamed at him. Then she turned her little face to me and stared questioningly.

"Ah, hello…" I lifted a tentative hand.

"Who's that?" she looked back at her older brother.

"Classmate," Adell answered her, looking over at his younger brother. "Ready to go?"

"Yep," he nodded, tossing his empty carton into the trashcan beside the bench. He dusted off his hands and looked at me too. He nodded. "Hello."

"Hello," I smiled, nodding my head.

"Hey," Adell addressed me and I looked over at him. "Sorry to drag you out like this."

"Oh, no! It's fine!" I smiled. "I got to meet your brother and sister."

"What's your name?" the girl asked me. I told her. "My name's Hanako, and that's Tardo."

"Taro," he automatically corrected her, giving me a slight bow. "Nice to meet you, Adamant-san."

"Almaz is fine," I bowed back. "Nice to meet you too, Taro-kun. And you, Hanako-chan."

When I smiled at her, she looked down at the floor. Then she leaned over and whispered something in Adell's ear. He looked over at me.

"You wanna come to my house?"

"W-What?" I could hardly believe my ears.

"My house. It's close," he gestured further up the block. "I can give you something to eat."

"Ah…" I didn't know how to answer. Would yes sound too eager? Would no be too rude? I couldn't decide. Finally: "I don't want to impose…"

"It's fine," he waved it off, moving forward. I had no choice but to follow. "Besides, Hanako wants you there."

"NII-CHAN!!" she flailed, looking flustered. Adell chuckled. I had never seen him smile before, let alone laugh at something. It was endearing; like around his siblings, he was a totally different person. It made me smile too.


	2. Guest

"Mom!" he set Hanako down and toed off his shoes. "We're home!"

"Welcome back!" a woman's cheerful voice rang out from somewhere within the house. I stood awkwardly in the foyer, clutching my school bag in both my hands. Hanako tumbled her way into little soft pink slippers and dashed inside.

"We have a guest!" she trumpeted.

Taro set his and his sister's shoes neatly to the side of the entranceway and then stepped into his own pale blue house slippers. He followed after her. Adell was rummaging through a small cupboard on one side of the doorway. He pulled out two pairs of plain white slippers and held one out to me.

"Come on in," he said, laying out the other pair on the floor and then walking inside. I laid my bag against the wall, removed my shoes and set them neatly in front of it, put on the slippers and hurried after him. He waved at me from a doorway and ducked inside. I entered what turned out to be the kitchen, and saw a petite woman with short blue hair and a long white apron turn from the cupboards with an energetic twirl.

"I love guests!" she skipped over to me, beaming. "Welcome!"

"Thank you very much for having me," I bowed low to her.

"Oh, psh! He's so polite! It's cute," she reached up and patted my head affectionately. "No need to be so formal, dear! You can just call me Mom, okay?"

"Ah, okay…" I glanced over at Adell. He was leaning back on the rear legs of a chair, his arms tucked behind his head. He shrugged. "Thank you, Mom," I smiled at her.

"Oh, Adell-honey, he is too cute!" she twirled away from me and over to her oldest son, gently placing a hand on the back of his chair and nudging it back down in a way that said that this was a commonplace thing. He laid the front legs back onto the ground without protest.

"Would you like some _onigiri_, Almaz-san?" Hanako spoke up from my left. I looked over to see her standing on a stepstool, spooning warm white rice out of a little cooker. She had a few bottles laid out on the counter beside her, but I couldn't read the labels.

"If it's not a problem," I answered her, giving her a little smile. She shook her head rapidly and nearly fell off the stool, righted herself, and hurriedly scooped out some more rice. Taro, who was sitting opposite his brother and drinking a tall glass of milk, snorted into his cup. Hanako glared evil beams of death at him.

"Sit down," Adell gestured lazily to one of the empty chairs around the kitchen table and I did so, taking the seat to his left. I kept my hands in my lap and stared at the tabletop. This day just kept getting more and more surreal. Here I was, at Adell's house, sitting in his kitchen right next to him. My whole body tingled. I had butterflies stirring crazily in my stomach, which was also tied into a million knots. Without looking up, I could feel someone's eyes on me… And I was pretty sure they were his. My body tingled, and trembled slightly.

A slight touch on my arm brought me out of my racing thoughts with a start. Hanako stood beside me, holding out a small tray with three large rice-balls placed neatly on top of it. She looked nervous.

"I…didn't know what you liked in your _onigiri_, so…" she fidgeted, "I, um, made some different ones. This one has _umeboshi_," she pointed at the leftmost one. "This one has _tarako_—" The middle one. "—and this one is _katsuobushi_," and then the right-most one. Like a flash, Adell (who had been leaning backward again) snatched his hand out and plucked up the middle one, then popped it into his mouth whole. I stared. "A-Adell-nii-chan!!" she cried, looking helplessly infuriated. "Those were for Almaz-san! I made them just for him!"

"S'good, Hanako," he mumbled through a mouthful of rice, then swallowed hugely and licked his lips, catching a stray grain of rice from the corner. I watched the way his tongue darted and felt my cheeks get incredibly hot. To distract myself, I forced myself to focus on Hanako: she looked as if she were about to cry. I placed my hands softly on top of hers.

"It's alright," I smiled. "I'm sure they're all just as delicious as that one. May I try these instead?"

She ducked her head and nodded, holding them out. I took the tray from her and patted her head gently.

"Thank you," I said. She nodded and walked back around the table to her mother's side. "_Itaidakimasu,_" I picked one up and began to eat.

The front door practically exploded open. I nearly dropped the rice-ball into my lap. Adell almost fell over, as he was leaning backwards again. Mom, Taro, and Hanako all jumped. Rozalin came stomping into the room. Her eyes landed on me.

"Hii!" I cringed.

"Rozalin, do you _have_ to make so much noise?" Adell sighed.

"Welcome home, Rozalin!" Mom chirped, coming around the table to greet the girl.

"Ah! Rozalin-san!" Taro nearly knocked over his chair in his scramble to get to his feet. His drained milk glass skidded across the tabletop and almost fell. He grabbed at it, his ears tinged pink with embarrassment. "W-Welcome home," he stammered.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Rozalin pointed at me.

"I invited him," Adell shrugged.

"You couldn't walk _me_ home but you could invite _him_ over!?" she cried.

"I-I'm sorry if I'm intruding, Rozalin-san," I stood, bowing to her. "It was a coincidence—"

"YOU!!" she glared hard at me. "I didn't give you permission to call me by my first name!"

"I'm sorry!" I bowed hurriedly.

"C'mon, Rozy! Don't give him a hard time!" Hanako came up beside me. "He's really nice!"

"I don't care!" she flipped her brilliant blond hair, pouting fully. "It's not fair that I have to walk home by myself when Adell and I live in the same house!"

"The house isn't that far from the school, you know," he got up and began to walk out of the kitchen. "Mom, I'm going upstairs." He glanced back at me. "Come on, Sempai."

"Huh?!" my skin began to tingle warmly. I felt the blush coming hard. "I, uh…"

"Alright, honey!" Mom called cheerfully, as if she couldn't sense either the hostility or the nervousness stirring in her kitchen. "Would you like me to bring up some snacks later?"

"Yeah," he nodded and reached over, grabbing my wrist with his hand. His touch seared me. I swallowed back a yelp of surprise. "Come _on_." He dragged me out of the kitchen and to a set of stairs.

"ADELL!!" Rozalin followed. "I'm not done with you!"

"Ugh," he grimaced and dragged me up the stairs. The heat of his palm against my wrist was flooding me. I was terrified, thinking he could feel my pulse thudding in his hand. When we reached the second floor landing he pulled me over to one of four doors and pushed it open, revealing a boy's room. He led me inside, released me, and then tossed the door closed behind us. I was frozen, like a deer caught in headlights, as I looked around: it was cluttered, but not truly messy; a bunk bed was pushed up against one wall; the other three were plastered with small white squares that, on closer inspection, were penciled drawings of a multitude of things. Some were decidedly childlike, but most were those of a skilled artist's hand. Adell bent and scooped up an open sketchbook, snapped it closed with a flick of his wrist, and put it on a small desk beneath the window, covered with more stray papers and scattered mechanical pencils.

"Here," he said, and put something in my hand.

"What?" I looked down at it. It was one of Hanako's rice-balls.

"That one's _umeboshi_," he wrinkled his nose. "Hanako's are really sour. I don't like them myself." And with that, he began consuming the last one. I hesitated, watching him eat again. He bit off smaller pieces this time, chewing thoughtfully as he looked off to one side. I watched the muscles of his jaw working, the taunt line of his neck that was exposed to my eyes, his Adam's apple moving up and down as he swallowed. I felt sluggish and dumb, just standing there staring. Shaking myself out of it, I lifted the rice-ball to my lips and nibbled on it. It was delicious.

"Hanako made these herself?" I asked, lifting my eyebrows in surprise. "They're very good."

"She loves to cook," he nodded, throwing himself down onto the lower bunk and lying on his back, still eating. I had a hard time swallowing my next bite, but I did. Then I ate some more.

"Ack!" I nearly dropped it. My eyes began to water from the shock of tasting the _umeboshi_. "It's _really_ sour!"

"Told you," he laughed, finishing his with a satisfied smile.

And while I tried to swallow the next bite of sour plum and salty rice, I vaguely realized that he had laughed again. At something I had said. I made him laugh. Could I…do it again?

I ate it all and grinned at him, still feeling the sour bite on my tongue. "I bet you she tricks you into eating them," I said.

"All the time," he chuckled with another shake of his head. "I'm just glad you came over, so I wouldn't have to get surprised today."

My heart thudded in my chest. I'd made him laugh again. He was glad I was here. These things filled me until my head began to spin fuzzily. Something moved in the room, but I couldn't see what it was; I was too focused on those feelings that were swelling inside me. _He's laughing. He's happy I'm here._

"Yo! Earth to Sempai!"

He was suddenly _right there_. His face was inches from mine, his red eyes watching my expression. I let out a yelp and stumbled backward. I slipped on something.

"Ah—!"

"Shit!" he lunged forward and grabbed my arm. I hit the wall anyway. Stars jumped out and danced in front of my eyes. Another thud and he was over me, one of his forearms lifted to the wall so as not to hit it as well. He looked down at me with a frown. "Are you okay?"

"I… I…!" My head spun and my face burned. I struggled to find something coherent to say. "I… Sorry!"

"Are you okay?" he repeated, moving himself backward so he sat back on his haunches, still directly in front of me. His head tilted to one side as his eyes looked me over questioningly.

"I'm… fine!" I gave out a shaky laugh, using the wall to push myself up into a sitting position as well. "Just… you surprised me!"

"You hit your head," he stated.

"Ah, well, yes, I did…"

"Let me see it."

"What?"

He leaned close again, his hand moving quickly once more and clasping the back of my neck, bending me forward. I froze as he inspected the back of my head, his warm hand cradling my neck gently. I could feel his fingers twitching slightly, or was that my nerves making my skin jump beneath his fingertips? His breath was hot and it rolled across my neck, making me shiver. I pressed my lips together and tried not to whimper aloud. When I breathed in, I could smell his scent: a mix of spices and fragrant smoke, like from a wood fire. The moment seemed endless, but it was probably only a couple of maddening heartbeats long.

"You seem fine," his grip relaxed and I could sit up again. His face was close.

"Hii!" I jumped slightly.

"Are you nervous?" he frowned at me.

"Wha—? No!" I stammered. "No, no! I'm just, it kind of surprised me, that's all! Ahahaha…!" I forced myself to laugh. It sounded so fake that I just cringed and dropped it. I rubbed the back of my head nervously and my fingers bumped something…

His hand was still there on the back of my head.

Another shiver raced up my body and I snatched my hand away. Then I winced. _Good job, Captain Obvious,_ I groaned to myself. He watched me with unclear eyes, his frown deepening so that a small worry line drew itself down the center of his forehead.

"You _are_ nervous," he said. I didn't argue this time, I just nodded. "Why?" he asked me.

"Because…" I said through a suddenly dry throat. _Because I like you._ I couldn't say that! I was a guy, he was a guy, and he'd think I was weird or worse, a pervert. Then he'd never look at me or greet me or smile at me ever again. I couldn't bear the thought of it. I clenched a hand over my heart instead and looked away pointedly. "I'm…making an idiot of myself. And you've been really kind to invite me to your house like this. I'm sorry I'm acting so strange."

He looked as if he didn't believe me. But he took it: "It's fine." However, he didn't move away from me. I glanced back at him; his face had turned thoughtful. Then, as if deciding something, it firmed out determinedly and he leaned forward again, placing his hands against the wall on either side of me. His face turned down to mine. I turned mine up to look into his eyes. He was…so close. It was so nerve-wracking, but I also couldn't help but stare at it all again: his slanted red eyes, his long twin scars on either cheek, his slightly parted lips… Wait. What?

Adell lowered his head toward mine. More specifically, he lowered his mouth towards mine.

There was a knock at the door.

I flailed, he jumped, his chin connected with my head, and we fell away from each other with similar cries of surprise and pain. His mother opened the door and looked at us: Adell rubbed his chin and looked despondent, while I clasped both hands on my head and tried to stop my heart from exploding inside my chest. Just…what had been happening there?!

"Are you two okay?" she set the tray on the dresser by the door and hurried over, kneeling between us. "Did you guys both try and get up at the same time?" We nodded simultaneously. She smiled sympathetically and extended a hand to me first. I took it and we both stood. Adell got to his feet beside me, his hand still rubbing his chin. Mom went back to the tray and carried it all the way into the room, holding it out to us with another bright smile. "Rozalin and I baked the cookies, and Hanako made the tea. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

Adell wrinkled his nose and took the tray. "Okay, Mom. Thanks," he nodded.

"Have fun, you two!" she waved and went out, closing the door behind her. We both looked at the tray in Adell's hands for a quiet moment.

"I hope she didn't poison the cookies, or something," I mumbled, thinking of Rozalin's icy glare of death when I said this. Adell blinked, then tossed back his head and laughed. After a moment, I smiled and laughed too.


	3. Bento

"So," Saphire plunked down next to me, laying her lunch in her lap and glancing sidelong at me, her green eyes glittering mischievously. "Where did you go afterschool yesterday?"

I spit out my rice, coughed, and turned red. She laughed. "I, ah," I muttered, "Adell-san invited me over to his house."

"Ooh!" she squealed. "I want details!!"

"Nothing happened!" I yelped, almost knocking my own lunch out of my lap as I gestured wildly with my arms. "I met his family, then we went upstairs to his room—"

"Wow!! Go you! You two were alone in his room?!"

"Nothing happened…!" I repeated, ducking my head as my blush deepened. My mind tried to linger on that single moment before his mother had entered but I shook it away. _Nope. Won't think about how close he was. Won't think about it..._

"You're maroon!!" she giggled gleefully and I moaned, hiding my face in my hands.

"I told you!" I spoke from behind my fingers, trying to calm myself down. "We were in the kitchen, Rozalin showed up, and then Adell dragged me to his room. I didn't ask or anything like that!"

"Something definitely happened, if you're denying it like this," she grinned at me.

"Are you even listening?" I sighed in defeat.

"Hey."

We both turned. Adell came up from the stairwell, one hand in his pocket, the other holding something wrapped in a _furoshiki_ which was most probably his lunch. Every thought in my head blanked, and I could only stare at him as he strode closer.

"Speak of the devil," Saphire whispered with another giggle.

"Why the hell do you eat way up here?" he looked around as he came up to us.

"It's pretty up here!" Saphire smiled at him. "You're welcome to join us if you'd like, Adell-kun."

I jumped in surprise, looking over at her desperately. It's not like I wouldn't be happy if he _did_ join us, but what would I say? What would I _do_? I might annoy him, or he might think I'm weird, or—

"Maybe," he shrugged, and held out the package in his hand. The _furoshiki_ was pink and white patterned. "Hanako made it for you," he explained, and tossed it over to me. I caught it, only fumbling slightly because I wasn't sure who he had been talking to at first. Granted, there was only Saphire and myself up there, but I hadn't automatically assumed it was me.

"Is it a _bento_?" Saphire leaned over to look as I untied it with my shaking fingers. "Aww, how cute!"

It was a homemade _bento_. It was in a simple sky blue box, and when I opened it, the wave of delicious smells knocked me dizzy. It was a mix-matched assortment: staple white rice with fried egg on top and small, cute octopus sausage on the side; the other half held what appeared to be sweet and sour pork, and a steamed roll, along with two delicately made fortune rolls. I didn't know what to do, so I stared at it until Adell spoke up again.

"You don't have to eat it," he said.

"No no no!" I jumped and flailed my arms, shaking my head back and forth. "That's not it! I'm just so… It's so cute." I laughed a little bit. "I don't know where to start. And…" I looked down at my own lunch. I had only eaten a couple of bites of rice. Saphire jumped to the rescue, as always.

"Adell-kun, have you eaten?" He shook his head no. "Well then, you can have Almaz's lunch!" she beamed and snatched my lunch out from my lap, holding it out to him.

"Ah!" I started, then bit back the protest. I couldn't eat two lunches, after all. And besides, Adell said he hadn't eaten. This way, he could eat and I could eat Hanako's _bento_. But… _What if he doesn't like my cooking…?_ I blinked. _Where's his lunch?_

"You don't mind, do you Almaz?" she looked over, her mouth twitching as she tried not to laugh at me.

"Um…" I blushed a bit. "No…"

"Here you go," she put the lunch in Adell's hand. He shrugged and left with my lunch. I stared down at Hanako's _bento_.

"That was…odd," I said at last.

"I wonder why he didn't have a lunch," Saphire tapped her chin with her chopsticks. "Hanako's his sister, right?" I nodded. "Why didn't she make him one too?"

"That is strange," I agreed, then looked down at the lunch again. "I should thank her, though."

"Why don't you go to his house again afterschool?" she said offhandedly, breaking her chopsticks apart. I blushed again: another visit to his house? Was it too forward, or familiar of me? "You should," Saphire grinned and gestured at the _bento_. "It was very sweet of her."

"Yes, it was," I nodded. I'd go thank her afterschool, walking with Adell as far as the bus stop to do so in person, then we'd go our separate ways. Simple. "_Itaidakimasu_," I grinned, and started to eat.

"_Itaidakimasu_!" Saphire called happily and dug into her own lunch. Hanako's was absolutely delicious.

* * *

I was about to break my routine.

I stood in front of Saphire and Adell's classroom door, fidgeting nervously. I'd rehearsed what I was going to say and how I was going to go about it all afternoon long, but now that I was here, I was drawing a big blank with one hand frozen on the door handle. Who was I going to approach first, again? How was I going to ask him if I could walk with him to the bus stop? I couldn't remember.

"Hey! You!!"

"Hii!" I jumped and released the door handle, looking back over my shoulder. Rozalin was there, glaring her icy glare of death at me.

"You're in the way!" she wrinkled her nose at me. "I'm going to go home with Adell!"

"Ah… Well, that makes sense, because you live together and all," I smiled weakly at her, stepping aside to let her pass. She glared at me as she pulled the classroom door open.

"Adell!" she sprang inside. I followed in after her, sighing, and almost got smacked in the face. I ducked Rozalin's flailing arms successfully. "Where is he!?" she wailed. I looked at his seat—empty. Saphire glanced up from reviewing her class notes.

"He left early," she told Rozalin, then she slid her gaze over to me. "Hey. Ready to go?"

"Uh, yeah," I said with another look at his empty desk. Disappointment filled me, making my chest tight. I had…wanted to walk home with him again. At least for a little while.

"Without me again?" Rozalin stamped her foot. "Dammit, Adell!" She rushed out of the classroom.

Saphire came over to me, smiling, her eyes told me that she knew what I felt. "Come on, Almaz. Let's go home."

"Yeah," I nodded, my lips tight so that I wouldn't frown. We walked out of the classroom together and down the stairs to the first floor. Normally, we would have been chatting about something that had happened during our afternoon classes or something else along those lines, but for some reason, no words came out of me. Saphire didn't try to break the silence either. We changed our shoes and met up again at the doors, walking outside into the falling sunshine. I caught a glimpse of Rozalin headed out the gates and in the direction of the bus stop.

"Oi," a voice called, and something dropped down next to me.

"ACK!" I leapt in surprise. Adell straightened beside me and raised an eyebrow at my reaction.

"Didn't mean to scare you," he said, and the corner of his mouth turned up in a little grin. It made my heart skip—I had never, ever seen a look so endearing before.

"Adell-kun!" Saphire clutched her chest as if she'd just had a heart attack. "I thought you left early!"

He shrugged: "I decided I needed to find a new hiding place, that's all. Besides," he looked at me with that same cute little grin, "my classroom's not really a hiding place, is it?"

"It isn't," I laughed, relaxing. It took me half a moment to realize that because I was so relieved to see him, I actually forgot to be nervous.

"Well, now you can go thank Hanako for the _bento_!" Saphire squeezed my arm and smiled at me. She looked happy too. She was the best best friend in the whole world.

"Sure," Adell shrugged and the three of us walked to the gate. "But," he glanced sideways at me again. Every time he looked at me that way, my heart stopped and my breath caught. "Rozalin's there now. Sure you want to come?"

"I don't mind," I laughed.

Saphire had to go the other way, so Adell and I saw her off.

"Bye bye, Adell-kun! See you in class!" She waved, then smiled cutely at me. "Call me later, okay?"

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes, grinning. She'd want details, of course.

She ran off. We turned and walked toward the bus stop in comfortable silence. I was amazed to realize that my happiness continued to keep my nervousness at bay.

"Are Taro-kun and Hanako-chan still there?" I asked him.

"Hanako might have wanted to wait," he glanced over at me.

"The _bento_," I smiled at him, "it was really good. Thanks for giving it to me."

"Yours wasn't too bad either," he grinned back. "You make it yourself?"

"Yeah," I nodded, blushing a tiny bit. He'd liked my cooking.

"Do you always make your own lunches?" he asked me.

"Yes," I nodded again. "My mother usually rushes out the door with just some coffee, so I end up making it myself."

"Are you always alone?" he looked directly at me. His red eyes blazed in the sunlight, and I thought I saw a hint of worry in them. _It's your imagination_, I told myself.

"Mom's always in her office, and Dad sleeps over at the company a lot, since he has to commute pretty far. But it's okay!" I smiled reassuringly at him. "If I ever get really lonely, I call Saphire and she comes over to keep me company."

"Are you two going steady?" he asked me and I stumbled.

"What? Me and Saphire?" I laughed a little bit. He just nodded, not looking at me. "No, we're not dating," I smiled at the thought of it. "I mean, she's really cute, but it's strictly a friend thing."

"Do you like her, then?" he glanced sideways at me. I shook my head.

"Like I said, just friends," I assured.

"Do you… have anyone you like?" he tacked on this third question and this time my feet stopped completely. My nervousness came back like a cold wave of water

"I…" I stuttered. "I, ah…"

This time, my savior came from a very unexpected source.

"THERE you are!" Rozalin hollered. I looked up at her voice. She stood with her hands on her hips, Taro close beside her. Behind them, four children (including Hanako) played on and around the bench. "Adell, where were you?!" she came up, then glared over at me. "And you brought _him_ again."

"He's coming to dinner," he rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding both her and my equal stares of surprise.

"Adell-nii-chan!!" Hanako called from her play and broke away from the group, rushing up to greet her brother. When she saw me, however, she stopped and hid behind Rozalin instead.

"Oi! Taro! Hana-chan!" a boy from the group waved an arm to get their attention. He had vibrant blue-purple hair with twin antennae sticking out.

"See you tomorrow!!" a girl beside him with ruby-colored pigtails waved energetically. The third one—a blonde who was wearing our school uniform—waved too and the three of them began walking across the street.

"WHY is he coming to dinner?!" Rozalin pointed an accusing finger at me.

"Hello," Taro smiled.

"Because I invited him," Adell frowned at her. "I can't invite someone to my own house now?"

"Hello," I nodded to Taro.

"Um, Almaz-san…?" Hakano's timid voice came from behind Rozalin's legs. She peeked out at me, her cheeks pink. "What… would you like for dinner?"

"You cook dinner too, Hanako-chan?" I knelt to come eye-level with her. She nodded bashfully. "I eat pretty much anything," I told her. "By the way, your _bento_ was delicious. Thank you very much."

"Huh? My _bento_?" she looked confused.

"Didn't you make that _bento_ box?" I was confused myself.

"Well, I made my nii-chan a _bento_ this morning…" she trailed off. "Did you eat it?" I nodded. She got redder. "Did you… like it?"

"Yes, I liked it very much," I smiled at her. "Everything was very delicious." Had Adell given me his lunch after all?

"Ugh, come on! Come _on_!" Rozalin threw up her arms and turned, stomping away.

"R-Rozalin-san! Wait for us!" Taro hurried after her. With Rozalin suddenly gone, Hanako ran to her older brother for cover. He picked her up easily.

"Are you sure?" he asked me again, his eyes amused. His mouth was turned up into that adorable little smile.

"Yes," I rose to my feet, brushing myself off. "I have to eat more of Hanako's yummy cooking, after all." I smiled at her. She ducked her head against her brother's neck and he laughed, leading the way back to his house.


	4. Chocolate

4

Dinner ended up being _nikujaga_ with _miso_ soup and rice. I'd never tasted anything so good, and I told Hanako so. She blushed hard, but looked pleased. Mom was still making dessert, and Rozalin was glaring daggers at me from across the table, so Adell dragged me to his room again.

I stood there awkwardly as he shut the door and flung himself onto the bottom bunk with a sigh.

"Dinner was good today," he mumbled with satisfaction, closing his eyes. "You should come over more often, if Hanako's gonna cook that way every time you're here."

I tried not to let the comment stick in my head. It did anyway: _He wants me to come over more often…?_ I felt my face getting hot, so to distract myself, I looked around the room again. So many drawings! They were overlapping one another in some places. I stepped closer to one wall to get a better look at them.

They were portraits of people. Face shots, busts, waist-up, and full-bodied all at different angles, done in pencil, ink, or charcoal. I recognized some people from our school; the likeness was incredible.

"You made all of these?" I asked him.

"Hn?" he lifted his head and looked over to me, one eyebrow raised. I gestured to the pictures on the wall. "Oh," he dropped his head back down onto the mattress. "Yeah."

"You're very talented," I offered quietly.

"…thanks." He sat up on the edge of the bed, his elbows leaning on his knees. He scratched one scarred cheek nervously, avoiding my eyes. _He's nervous?_

"How long have you been doing it?" I returned my stare to the drawings on the wall deliberately.

Another pause. "I don't know," he finally said. "Since as far back as I can remember."

I moved slowly around the room, taking in each picture and all of its details. A lot of them were of his family: Mom, Dad (as I had been instructed to call him), Taro, Hanako, and even one or two of Rozalin. In this collection of family portraits, I saw a lone couple, holding a small baby and smiling out at the viewer. It looked like a rendition of a photograph. I turned back to him and pointed.

"Who are they?"

"My parents," he came over, slipping his hands into his pockets and looking at the drawing with a complex emotion marring his face. "Biological."

"What?" I blinked. "You're…?"

"Adopted," he nodded. "My real parents went on a business trip to the States, but their plane crashed."

"I'm…so sorry…" I shrunk back, biting my lip.

"Why?" he glanced at me. "You didn't make them crash."

"I… I didn't mean to bring up such a painful subject," I whispered, looking down at my hands clasped tightly in front of me. _Oh man,_ I whimpered to myself._ I messed up BIG time._

"Hey," he said, and from the side of my vision, I saw his hand rise. He grasped my chin in his fingers and turned my face gently up to his. His eyes were darker than usual, but he didn't look upset. "I don't mind telling you, okay? Stop feeling sorry."

I nodded. Then I realized that he was touching my face. _He's touching me!_ A wave of heat rushed up from my pounding heart, rose up my neck, and took over my face, all the way back to the tips of my ears. He grinned a little at me.

"You're blushing," he said. I wanted a hole to open up beneath me and swallow me whole. Until he said this: "It's cute."

My brain exploded, a million thoughts racing to compute all at once. _He thinks I'm cute?! He's a GUY! He's touching me! I'm blushing so hard! Doesn't he think this is strange? Does he think I'm weird? He's still touching me!!_ He was. I flailed around in my confusion, stuttering pointlessly until he laughed and released my face, pulling away.

"You're fun to tease," he grinned broadly, his eyes cinching shut. The red in my face finally receded a little, and I started down at my hands again, which were now twiddling nervously.

"Adell, I…"

Someone knocked on the door.

"Hii!!" I leapt a dozen feet into the air, at least. He laughed at me again and went to open it. Rozalin stood there, looking extremely pissed, holding a tray with a pot of tea, two cups, and two large slices of chocolate mousse cake.

"What's so funny?" she pouted sourly.

"Nothing," Adell shrugged, taking the tray from her. "Thanks, Rozalin."

"Adell," she pouted some more. "We have to study together!"

"I know," he nodded. "We'll study in a little while." He tilted his head back toward me. "Just let him eat dessert, okay?"

She looked over and glared again. I smiled at her nervously. She flipped her hair at me and turned, stalking off. Adell swung the door shut with his foot and came over with the snacks. My heart was calming down, so I tried to take the subject off me.

"You two study together?" I asked. "I thought you were in different classes."

"We are," he nodded as we sat to eat. "Since she came over from America though, she's having a hard time understanding stuff. So I coach her."

"Ah," I blinked. "But she speaks Japanese so fluently."

"She can speak the language very well," he agreed, passing a cup to me. Steam rose in soft curls, warming my face. Now I could blame the redness on something else. "She has a hard time grasping the written aspect of it, though."

I chuckled a bit. "You don't seem to mind her as much as you appear to," I observed with a small smile. He blushed a little bit, pushing a plate of cake over to me.

"Yeah, well," he grimaced. "She's still annoying."

"Sure," I laughed good-naturedly. He pouted. It was such a cute little expression that I laughed a bit more. "Your drawings are really fantastic though," I backtracked to the original subject. "Have you submitted any into any programs or contests?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Nah," he mused. "I do it just to do it, you know?"

"Yes," I nodded, grinning at him. Adell would be the kind of person to just do something because he felt like it. It also meant that he could drop something once it disinterested him. I frowned at that though. "But," I added, "I hope you continue with it. You are really very talented, Adell-kun."

He glanced up from his cake to see if I was joking. When he saw I wasn't, he swallowed and avoided his eyes. "Thanks," he mumbled. Then he gestured to the cluttered desk beside us. "There's some more stuff up there, if you want to take a look."

"I do!" I got up and went over to the desk, shuffling through the papers. They were all rough pencil works, probably newer. I dropped a few pencils and one or two tiny nibs of charcoal in my rummaging. Near the bottom of the pile was a black hardcover sketchbook. I remembered it as the one he had picked up off the floor and closed my first time in his room. I pulled it out. "Why did you decide to do portraits?"

He looked over at me to answer as I flipped to the first page, then leapt up at a frightening speed and tried to snatch the book out of my hands.

"Don't look at that!" he cried. I was so startled that I jumped away from him and dropped it. The book flew open and pages scattered everywhere.

"I'm sorry!" I dropped to the ground and began to scoop them up.

"Don't—!" he sounded desperate. I looked at them.

They were pictures of me.

I froze, my hands grasping the pages of his sketchbook, and I saw myself everywhere: close ups, various facial expressions, and different poses. As opposed to his gestural sketches on the walls, these drawings were finely detailed, with infinite layers of time-consuming shading. There was one of me speaking with Saphire at her desk. Another showed me in my _kendo_ uniform, taking a break during club. A third was of me walking through the gates and onto the school grounds. I didn't know what to say or how to react. I just kept looking at them. They were…so amazing. And…all of me. _Why me?_

Adell broke the awkward silence with a weak laugh.

"And now you know," he said, his voice thick and ashamed.

_Know what? I don't know ANYthing!_ My mind struggled to process it all. "They…" I squeaked. I cleared my throat and tried again. "They're…amazing." He scoffed. "No, really!" I flailed, then stopped because I still had those papers in my hands. "I… I'm flattered. Really, I am." I laughed a little, nervously. "I didn't think you even looked at me."

"I watch you all the time," he confessed quietly, his eyes stealing to mine. My heart skittered. I couldn't breathe for a moment. All the confusion in my brain stilled._ He watches me, just like I watch him._

"Adell…" I took in a deep breath. "I…"

"You don't have to say anything," he rubbed the back of his head, looking away. "It's weird, okay? Can we just…drop it?"

"But…" I frowned.

"Let's just drop it," he repeated, looking defeated. I didn't want to see him that way; that sorrowful look made my heart hurt. I stood, placing the drawings carefully on his desk, then stepped timidly towards him.

"I…watch you too," I said hesitantly, keeping my eyes down. His head whipped around, as if this were the last thing he'd been expecting to hear.

"What?" he blinked.

"I…" I fidgeted uncomfortably. The intensity of his stare was a little overwhelming. "Every afternoon, when I go to your classroom… I'm there because I want to see you." I started blushing again, and I cursed my insecurity. "I… My eyes can't help but look at you. I can't stay away from you." The blush deepened. I pressed my hands hard together so they would stop shaking. "I've never felt this way before, about anyone…"

"I'm a guy," he said flatly. The words tore my heart open. Tears stung the backs of my eyelids and I fought to keep them from falling.

"I know," I choked past the lump rising in my throat. "I can't help myself, though." I took in a deep breath, let it out in a shuddering sigh, and slumped. "I like you, Adell-kun."

There was a very long, tense pause between us. I struggled with my emotions, willing myself not to cry. _Don't make yourself look worse!_ Adell didn't ask me to leave, and I didn't get that vibe from him, but maybe that was all just wishful thinking. I didn't even want to raise my head to look at him, I was so ashamed and embarrassed.

"You… like me?" he finally repeated. I wanted to disappear. Instead, I nodded weakly. "That's not…weird to you?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Other people might think so," I spoke my fear aloud, closing my eyes to block out the expression I would see on his face. I could imagine it, however, behind my closed lids. I couldn't escape from it. "If you like someone, though, it shouldn't matter who they are: older, younger, boy or girl."

"So… It's not weird to you?" he reiterated.

"No," I sighed. "It's not weird to me." _I may be the only one who thinks this way, though…_

I started when I felt his hands come to rest lightly on my shoulders. My eyes shot open and I looked up into his face. His cheeks were red, and he was looking slightly uncertain. I briefly realized that his hands were shaking.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked me.

My knees went weak and I almost fell over. I managed to stay upright, but thousands of new thoughts rushed into my head and tried to take over: _No! Say 'yes', stupid! Why? Does he want to? Why's he asking? I can't—SAY YES!! _

"W-Why…?" I finally managed to stammer.

"We don't have to," he frowned, still looking very awkward.

"No!!" I cried. "I mean, yes! I mean, I want to—" I clapped my hands over my mouth before I could do any more damage. He'd heard though, of course.

"I was right," he grinned that tiny, breathtaking little grin that made my heart pound. "You are cute when you're flustered."

"Ack!" my cheeks burned and I turned my face down again. He took one hand off my shoulder and tilted my chin up, forcing me to look into his eyes. I shivered, I was tingling all over.

"I want to," he grinned softly, and pressed his lips to mine.

_Chocolate,_ was the first thing I thought, followed quickly by: _He's KISSING me!! _I opened my mouth to exclaim in surprise, but his tongue slipped in between my parted lips and ran along mine once, briefly and softly. Then he pulled away and I stuttered wordlessly, my heart drumming crazily inside of my chest and my cheeks burning like they were on fire. I gaped at him. He smiled back, a little uncertainly.

"You didn't like it?"

_Didn't like it?!_

"We don't have to do it again."

_Now hold on a second—_

"Or," his smile suddenly turned mischievous, "we can keep practicing."

_SAY SOMETHING!! _my brain shouted.

"I… don't think I can handle another one," I said breathlessly, clutching at my heart. He laughed, releasing my shoulders and stepping away from me.

"Alright, I'll stop," he chuckled.

"No, it's not that…" I swear, if I continued to blush like this much longer, I'd overheat. "I liked it… but, my heart feels like it's about to explode!"

"Then we'll save it for another time," he reached out and touched the hand that I held clenched to my chest, a little smile playing on his lips. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No," my head spun pleasantly._ Another time. He doesn't think I'm strange, or perverted. He...likes me too?_

"Let's finish the cake," he motioned to the forgotten snacks. _Cake. Chocolate. It tasted like…_ My blush swooped up again and made my entire upper body burn with embarrassment. Adell laughed at me. I flailed helplessly.

"You don't…think I'm strange?" I asked. He gave me a look that plainly stated he thought I was dumb.

"I just kissed you," he stated.

"I know," I fidgeted. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"I like you too," he confessed.

"Huh?" I blinked.

"Geez, you're dense!" he put a hand to his forehead and laughed, shaking his head. "I like you, Sempai. I have for a long time. And I'm happy that you like me back," he smiled.

"I-I do," I nodded.

"Good," he grinned easily. "Now, come here and finish your cake, or else Mom and Hanako will be disappointed."

"Ah! Okay!" I hurried to sit down. He laughed at me once more.


	5. Friend

5

I was attacked as I was walking through the school gates.

"Almaaaaaaaaaaaaaz!!" Saphire threw herself onto my back.

"Hii!!" I stumbled, fighting for balance.

"You didn't call me!" she proclaimed, squeezing her arms around my neck. "You meanie!"

"Ah, Saphire…" I laughed nervously at her. "I was… er, I got home kind of late, and…"

She gasped loudly, her green eyes shining. "You…!" Her voice lowered conspiratorially: "You went to his house again?" I nodded. "To his room?" I nodded again, my face reddening. She caught sight of it and grinned triumphantly. "Something happened, didn't it!?"

"Um, can we not talk about it here?" I glanced around at all the people passing us and giving us strange looks. I also saw members of the Princess Fan Club glaring at me darkly. I had the sinking feeling that I would most-likely be targeted by them after school today.

"Sure!" she slid off my shoulders and jumped around to stand in front of me. She was smiling, but there was something about her face that looked less cheerful. "You promise, right?"

"Huh?" I blinked. It wasn't like her to ask something like that. "Yeah," I nodded. "You know I will. I tell you everything."

"I know!" she grinned and twirled around, heading for the school. "Come on! We're gonna be late!"

"Ah!" I hesitated, then hurried after her. Something was up with Saphire, and it bothered me not to know what it was.

* * *

I ascended the steps to the roof slowly, thinking about how I should breach the subject about her unusual behavior this morning. Knowing her, she'd focus the entire conversation on what I was doing at Adell's house last night.

When I got there, I saw Adell lying on his back in the spill of sunlight painting the rooftop, his arms tucked behind his head and his eyes closed. I froze on the top step, my breath hitching in my throat and my eyes widening. _Why is he up here? Is he upset about what happened yesterday, and he wants to talk about it? Maybe he's going to tell me that it was weird and to stay away from him…_ But all that frenzied thought was stilled as I looked at him lying there so peacefully. _He's so beautiful…_

I left my lunch on the little bench Saphire and I usually ate on and walked quietly to his side. Then I crouched, hugging my knees and staring at him. His skin didn't glow, like it did with the afternoon sunlight, but it almost gleamed, making him appear surreal. His hair kicked out and spilled haphazardly across his eyes and face, moving slightly in the almost-breeze. It looked as if it were fire itself, dancing and swaying fluidly. In sleep, his face lost all the lines of worry, frustration, and seriousness and smoothed out perfectly. It was a gorgeous face. My hand reached out to touch his cheek, but I caught myself moving and stopped, pulling it away hesitantly. _What if he doesn't want me touching him? What if he's here to ask me to stop talking to him? Maybe he is uncomfortable, kissing another boy._ I licked my lips, imagining the taste and the heat of his mouth there. I had been happy about it, and I know that he said he didn't mind, but… _Maybe he's having second thoughts?_

I wanted to ask him, to say these things first, before he said them and they hurt me, like swords piercing my heart. I wanted to say that even if it had been a fluke, just a random thing, it hadn't been to me. I wanted to tell him honestly how I felt, before he asked me to stay away from him… But I couldn't bring myself to wake him up. He looked so peaceful, so calm and beautiful. I needed to tell him in some way, though. How?

My eyes stole to his lips again. I nibbled on mine. _Just once,_ I told myself, kneeling. _Just one more kiss, and I will never bother him again._ I leaned forward slowly. _I will take one last, selfish, cowardly kiss,_ I braced myself over him, _and I will leave you alone._ I lowered my lips softly to his.

* * *

Saphire hurried up the steps, panting. She was late! Almaz might have gone looking for Adell by now, or something. _No! He promised he'd tell me!_ She frowned, shaking her head. _He promised!_ But, lately, she had felt that Almaz was drifting apart from her. He was being pulled into Adell's world while she was being left behind. It was a little upsetting, but she was trying hard to be happy for him. Almaz really did love him, and best friends supported one another.

…best friends, huh?

She got to the roof door and grabbed the handle, meaning to push it open, leap out, rush over, and tackle him. She looked out the window first, and stopped.

* * *

_His lips are so soft,_ I thought belatedly, pulling away. I opened my eyes.

Adell was staring at me.

"HIII!!" I fell backwards in surprise. He was up in a flash and over me, his arms on either side of my head, supporting him, one knee by my hip.

"You," he said, an unreadable expression on his face. "Don't do that."

"I-I'm sorry…!" I choked out, still surprised. His words hit me deeply. I felt my hopes falling between my fingers like sand.

"How am I supposed to control myself if you act so damn cute all the time?" he frowned, his eyebrows tugging together.

"Wha…?" my mind stopped. This was not going the way I thought it would.

"Whatever," he shrugged. "You'd better take responsibility." And he grabbed the back of my neck, lifted my head, and pressed his lips hard to mine.

* * *

"Oh…!" Saphire watched Adell kiss her friend. She felt slightly embarrassed that she was watching such a private moment, but she was also very happy for Almaz. She grinned, and avoided her eyes for a few moments.

…two boys kissing was also, she discovered, pretty hot.

* * *

I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. Adell was kissing me deeply, his warm tongue running across the inside of my mouth and lapping eagerly. My heart sped up, thudding so loudly, I was sure he could hear it. A few whimpering sounds escaped my throat. I think I kissed him back, I wasn't sure.

When he finally took his mouth from mine and released me, I simply laid on my back and tried to remember how to breathe. He was breathing deeply beside me, and so I listened to that, trying to follow its example. He looked over.

"Your fault," he said. I nodded; I'd greatly take the blame for that.

* * *

She stepped away from the door, smiling slightly. _Good for you, Almaz,_ she said silently to herself, then turned to find another place to eat.

"You're not going out there?"

Saphire jumped in surprise and looked up at the speaker. Rozalin was standing on the steps with her hands on her hips.

"No," she grinned, avoiding Rozalin's direct gaze. "You shouldn't either, though. Let them be alone together."

"Hmph," Rozalin tossed her hair and went to the window, looking out. A complex expression crossed her face, then she wrinkled her nose and just looked annoyed.

"I've always known that Adell liked Almaz-sempai," she said.

"You have?" Saphire blinked. Rozalin nodded. "Then, why do you still chase after Adell-kun?"

"Why do you still chase after Almaz-sempai?" Rozalin turned the question around. Saphire blinked, surprised.

"I…don't…" she stammered.

"Psh, please," Rozalin's iced-ruby eyes flicked up and down along the other girl's profile. "It's obvious, you know."

"It…is?" she felt her stomach drop. "Do you think Almaz knows?"

"Nah," Rozalin glanced out the window again. "He's too dense."

Saphire giggled. "Yeah, you're right. I've known him since we were kids—I should know _that_ at least."

* * *

"I wonder what's taking Saphire…" I mused, looking up at the bright blue sky. From next to me, Adell made a noncommittal noise.

"You two are that close?" he fidgeted. I looked over at him, blinking. _Is he…jealous?_

"Well, yeah," I nodded, looking down at my untouched lunch. "We've been friends ever since she came over from America."

"She's from the States, too?" Adell lifted an eyebrow. I nodded again.

"Yes. Her Japanese was so terrible," I laughed a little.

"Did you end up helping her with it?" Adell asked.

"Yeah," I smiled slightly and looked down at the chain link fence surrounding the roof. "She got teased at school for it a lot, I remember."

* * *

"I came over from America when I was young," Saphire spoke, her eyes looking out the window, but seeing her memories instead. "I had a really hard time picking up the language, so all the other kids made fun of me a lot."

* * *

"The first time we met, she was circled by a group of bullies in the playground," I recalled.

* * *

"I couldn't do anything but stand there and cry," she laughed helplessly. "I was so confused and scared…"

* * *

"She looked so lost that I couldn't help myself," I chuckled a little. "I had to go and help her."

* * *

"He stepped in front of me and shielded me from those bullies," she whispered, placing a hand gently on her heart. "I think he told them to go away—I couldn't understand at the time—and then he said something to me…"

* * *

"I told her that I'd protect her," I grinned at my own childish naivety. "I don't think she understood me, but I'm sure she got what I meant."

* * *

"They beat him up," Saphire recalled sadly. "There were just too many of them. But they left me alone. When I helped him up, he smiled and said something else. I only understood one word, though."

"What was that word?" Rozalin inquired.

* * *

"Dummy," Adell bonked me softly atop my head. "You haven't changed much, huh?"

"No, not really," I laughed. "That's the day I asked Saphire to be my friend. We've been together ever since."

* * *

"_'Tomodachi'_," she smiled. "He asked me to be his friend. And we've been friends ever since. He helped me learn Japanese, and was always there to stand up for me and protect me."

"It's cute," Rozalin gave the other girl a little smile. Saphire beamed back.

"I know," she giggled. "I only realized my feelings after he confessed that he had a crush on Adell-kun. But, I had waited too long," she lowered her eyes, her smile fading. "I was so used to him being there beside me, that I couldn't even imagine myself without him."

"And what's stopping you?" Rozalin raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?" Saphire looked up, confused.

"I like Adell," Rozalin tilted her head to the window. "Nothing's going to stop me from telling him every chance I get. Maybe one day, he and Almaz-sempai will go their separate ways. I want him to know that I'll be there for him; I want him to see that I'm the perfect girl for him." She gave Saphire another grin. "Besides, it's a lot of fun to keep interrupting them. It keeps them on their toes, and keeps me entertained."

Saphire burst out laughing.

* * *

"Huh?" I glanced back.

The door to the roof banged open. Rozalin dashed out and nearly tackled Adell off the bench.

"Adeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell!!" She cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tight, her chest pressing into his back.

"Gah!" he waved his arms wildly for balance.

Unexpectedly, it was my turn next.

"Almaz!!" Saphire pounced on me. I almost dropped my lunch. I managed not to fall over, and I looked over my shoulder at her. She was grinning broadly, happily. I smiled.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," I said with relief.

"Rozalin and I had a conversation that made me realize something," she smiled back, her eyes sparkling.

"What was it?" I asked her.

"Get off, please," Adell unsuccessfully tried to shake Rozalin off his shoulders.

"Nuuuuuuuuuu~!" Rozalin purred and nuzzled him.

"Almaz, I love you!" Saphire beamed and kissed the corner of my mouth softly.

"HUH?!" I flailed.

"HEY!!" Adell pointed angrily.

"Heehee!" Rozalin giggled, squeezing him tightly.


End file.
